Standbeeld van Frederik Willem I van Brandenburg te paard op de Lange Brücke, Berlijn 1868 - 1870

This photograph by Johann Friedrich Stiehm captures the statue of Frederick William I of Brandenburg on the Lange Brücke in Berlin. The monument dominates the composition with its imposing scale and central placement. Stiehm focuses our attention on the interplay between the statue’s mass and the linear elements surrounding it. The dark bronze of the statue contrasts with the lighter tones of the surrounding buildings, creating a stark visual hierarchy. The formal arrangement—the statue elevated on a pedestal, framed by the rigid lines of the bridge and architecture—suggests a carefully constructed power dynamic. The perspective emphasizes the depth of the urban space, yet it is the statue that arrests our gaze, embodying authority. The photograph, beyond its documentary value, engages with the semiotics of power and representation. It invites us to consider how monuments function as cultural signs, encoding and reinforcing particular values. The statue’s enduring presence speaks to the ongoing negotiation of history and identity in the urban landscape.